Reeves' Muntjac
Basic Information:
Scientific Name: Muntiacus reevesi
Habitat: Naturally, Reeves’ Muntjac can be found in hilly, rocky, and wooded landscapes in Southeastern China and Taiwan. Today, muntjacs can also be found in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Ireland due to being introduced there in the 1900s.
Diet: Reeves’ muntjac eat leaves, fruit, bark, and fungi.
Size: 1.6 feet tall / 3.1 feet long
Weight: 22 to 40 pounds
Lifespan: 10 to 12 years in the wild. Up to 20 years in human care.
Distribution Map:
I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:
What does this mean?
Least Concern – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to be pervasive, abundant, and thriving.
Our Reeves' Muntjacs:
Matthew (Male) – Born November 3, 2012
Xiao Yi (Male) – Born May 26, 2013
About Reeves' Muntjacs:
Found widely in southeastern China and Taiwan, Reeves’s muntjac are the oldest deer species known to man with fossil records dating back to somewhere between 15-30 million years ago. They are sometimes referred to as “barking deer” due to the deep bark-like sounds they are known to make when on alert. Today, Reeve’s muntjacs are considered to be a species of least concern and are actually classified as an invasive species due to their introduction to Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Japan.
Did You Know?!
- Male muntjacs have a set of downward pointing canine teeth used for fighting. These are sometimes – although wrongly – referred to as “tusks.”
- All muntjacs have 2 pairs of very visible glands on their face for marking their territories.
- Muntjac males have antlers which they shed annually.
- The gestation period for a muntjac is 7 months and females only birth 1 offspring. Baby muntjacs have spotted coats.
- Muntjacs don’t form herds. They live alone or in pairs and rarely leave their own territory.
- Muntjacs are sometimes called “barking deer” because of the dog-like barking vocalization they make. This barking sound may also be used to ward off predators, attract a female for mating, and for defending territory against other muntjacs who may be stepping into the wrong land.
- Scientists are especially interested in muntjacs because each species – of which there are 12 including the Reeves’ muntjac – has slightly different features even though they all live in the same natural range in Asia.
- Reeves’ muntjacs have a long tongue that is used to strip leaves from bushes.
- Reeves’ muntjacs scent-mark their territories with secretions from their preorbital glands.
- Muntjacs are the oldest known deer species. Fossil remains date from 15 to 35 million years ago.